


Super

by Whizbang



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, M/M, Superheroes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-08
Updated: 2013-04-08
Packaged: 2017-12-07 20:31:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/752783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whizbang/pseuds/Whizbang
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur Pendragon is always trying to do what's right, but after Camelot goes to hell, he's not sure what to do anymore. Uther, as unmoving as ever, blames superheroes for the chaos, and starts the war depicted in this epic story of immense courage and<br/>the destiny of a boy and his brave magician.</p><p>(note: this piece will be continued in the summer, right now I'm putting all my energies into The Regular Magic of Arthur Pendragon. Thank you for your patience!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Super

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so excited to be starting this AU; I thought it fit the characters perfectly since season 1, and I hope I do it justice now that I've finished the series! Thank you for reading, but I'll only continue this story if you guys comment and let me know I have a demand for it. 
> 
> Onward to chapter one! :)

Blue eyes blinked back at him, closing in on his mouth. Blue eyes from under a black

mask, cheekbones cutting through the fabric, ears hidden beneath it...  

“Arthur...”

It was cold.

         "Arthur, what are you doing--watching that _nonsense?_ Get up, go _do_ something."

          Arthur's father was a breeze, pushing him in a direction he hadn't intended to go.

It was march. The entire mansion reeked of renewed priorities and December's ever growing savings bonds. As if a Pendragon would ever have to save a dime.

It was Uther Pendragon who said the first words that night; Uther, considering it his privilege to be as demanding as he wanted to be, whenever he saw it necessary.

_It was always necessary,_

and it was cold outside.

          "Yes, father," Arthur slumped, twisted the skin under his eyes with loose fists and tried to act sober enough to evade his father. The television was bright, entrancing, a news report echoing in the back of Arthur Pendragon's thoughts. His blurry, unkempt thoughts.

                                vigilante...detrimental...disgrace...threat...

                                                     _anarchist._

****

         He saw in his memories a man in a cape, a woman in a mask, and a sky filling with hundreds of layering ash clouds. He saw Uther cry for the only time, and he saw the destruction of man, building, and fire all hushed into the depths midnight.

         Arthur flexed his brows, contemplating where exactly the remote was, in the mixed of luxurious couch cushions and red quilts that seemed to be trying to deceive him back into napping in the parlor. Deciding the venture through the anatomy of a large, warm couch was too risky, after scratching the back of his head with a drowsy sigh, Arthur got up and stumbled to the TV, pressing a button with his middle finger until the glowing light dimmed. Slugging his coat on and his hat, he finally got out of there and into the open vestibule.

                     “Pick up some eggs while you're out for the chef,” Uther ordered.

It was a rarity that Arthur had to run errands in place of a servant. Until Uther could find a replacement for the one they had lost, however, Arthur supposed he would have to adjust to it.

          Hiding a half empty wallet in his coat pocket, the door shut behind him revealing a breeze that smacked Arthur’s face pink and blew his blond hair into an even bigger mess. Sunglasses blocked his eyes from public incriminations, as they were glassy and swollen and obvious. Arthur smelled of liquor, but he didn’t care. It was a rough week for him, as it was for Uther and Leon. All of the Camelot Officials had to come to terms with the deaths of tens of hundreds of innocent civilians--a huge blow to the police department who couldn’t stop it from happening--the cause being, _superheroes_. Arthur’s eyes narrowed at the falsity of that name, of the myth of actual heroes outside the law. He was disgusted.

           “A bit early to be roaming the streets in that condition, isn’t it, dollophead?” A familiar voice chimed from behind him. Arthur turned to face who he expected was none other than the usual thorn in his side, an idiot by the unfortunate name of Merlin.

                   It would take Arthur a lot of well-earned willpower not to turn to see the unquestionably smug grin on Merlin’s face behind him.  

             “How do you figure,” Arthur replied.

          “I can smell last night’s bar-hopping from all the way over here.”

                     Arthur let out a half grin.

         “I’ve had an even worse night than you can imagine.”

There was a weird silence after that statement, where there should have been a disbelieving retort, that Arthur didn’t fully understand. Merlin didn’t try to respond, but he caught up to Arthur with an uncomfortably meek run.

        “You’re following me,” Arthur glanced over at him, “and you don’t even know where I’m going.”

         “I know you’re prone to getting into trouble,” Merlin glanced over at Arthur trying to mirror his stoicism, “especially when you can barely see what’s in front of you...?” There was an unsure quality in his voice as if he was testing the waters by pointing out Arthur’s faults. Arthur thought it was strange. Merlin usually makes jabs with complete surety.

          In actuality, Merlin ended that statement as a question because he wasn’t sure if he was being too cocky making it.

                       . _..you can barely see what’s in front of you._

           Merlin meant that as a sort of inside joke with himself as well as an actual fact. Arthur was completely out of it, and they both knew that was true. If it was anyone else who found Arthur that morning, they would have been fooled by the cool attitude and pair of cheap sunglasses he dawned to fool the media, but not Merlin. Merlin could tell by the irregularity of Arthur’s sway as he stepped, by the fly aways and the way his hands were shoveled into his pockets. Something was off about this insobriety, something deeper.

           It was at one time funny to Merlin, how he could hide himself so easily while Arthur was completely obvious.

          “I’m prone to getting in trouble?” Arthur was astounded, “You’re the clumsy oaf who spilled coffee all over my clothes on our last outing.”

             “Maybe you deserved it.”

            “Well maybe you’re an idiot.”

          Merlin sighed his regular, modest sigh and reminded Arthur of his honorable mention of paying for the suit pants he had ruined, but Arthur laughed and reminded Merlin how he couldn’t pay for the pants with his entire life savings until he was a hundred and twelve.

           It went on this way, as it usually did. They had been meeting like this, randomly on street corners and in pubs, for the past couple of years. Nothing was ever planned, but it was always expected. Merlin was a resident of the low income apartments up the street, next to the hospital where Merlin’s uncle, Gaius, had been a patient since Merlin’s arrival many years ago.

                                             Of all the stories, the story of how they met was the unofficial best.

                                                                                       
                                                                                        =====

 

****

           Midnight specks in the air turned gold and purple, red as angry tunnels and sand, disappearing behind the silhouette of a boy in the street, black hair blending in, standing out against bright stars. Arthur, in the nights alone, walked through the parks as a tradition to figure out the obstacles set in front of him. Later, this practice was abandoned in the aftermath of a super-crisis. Uther would be waiting that very night for his return, to tell him that he needs to think about appearances. To set a eurfew.

 

 

                                                  To open up a new world, and destroy an old one.


End file.
